Walter Connolly

Walter Connolly

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1887-04-08
Deathday: 1940-05-28 (53 years old)

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Biography

The name may have been forgotten, especially today (seven decades later), but the portly, apoplectic, exasperated figure on the 1930s screen wasn't. While his film career, save a couple of silents, lasted a paltry seven years (1932-1939), character actor Walter Connolly certainly ran the distance. While some film historians complain that a number of his performances were annoying or overbaked, he was for the most part applauded for his zesty contributions to a number of comedy classics. Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (1933), Broadway Bill (1934) and It Happened One Night (1934), not to mention the Carole Lombard/Fredric March screwball farce Nothing Sacred (1937) as news reporter March's hot-headed editor boss are sure-fire examples.


The Cincinnati, Ohio native was born on April 8, 1887 and schooled there. The son of the head of the Western Union relay office, he attended St. Xavier College and the University of Dublin in Ireland before making his New York debut in 1910 in an outdoor presentation of "As You Like It". For the next year or so he was a member of E.H. Sothern's touring company and played supporting roles in a number of Shakespearean shows on the road. After a few silent pictures left him unimpressed with film-making, he turned to the Broadway stage in the 1920s and scored quite well. Somewhat short and tubby, it was not difficult for the jowly, mustachioed actor to seize laughs and he found his share in such outings as "The Talking Parrot" (1923), "Applesauce" (1925), "The Springboard" (1927), "The Happy Husband" (1928), "Stepping Out" (1929), "Your Uncle Dudley" (1930), "Anatol" (1931), "Six Characters in Search of an Author" (1931), "The Good Fairy" (1932) and "The Late Christopher Bean" (1932).


With his talents as a stage farceur firmly established, it was time to make a second attempt at a film career and Hollywood (specifically, Columbia) wisely opened their doors to him. Interestingly, his debut in a full-length talking picture came at age 45 in the form of a drama, Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932), where he was third-billed as a rather benign senator. For the next seven years Connolly, often playing older than he really was, could be found everywhere giving good fluster to the greatest and glossiest of stars -- Janet Gaynor, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, Paul Muni, Spencer Tracy, and Ginger Rogers, among hordes of others.


His hobbies were collecting old books and theatre programmes. Connolly was married to actress Nedda Harrigan from 1923 to his death. They had one daughter, Ann (1924–2006). Connolly suffered a fatal stroke on May 28, 1940, and was buried in New St. Joseph Cemetery in Cincinnati.

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Filmography

all 48

Movies 48

self 1

Self (archive footage)
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen

Black Shadows on a Silver Screen (1975)

Movie
Victor Herbert
The Great Victor Herbert

The Great Victor Herbert (1939)

Movie
Timothy Borden
5th Ave Girl

5th Ave Girl (1939)

Movie
Dr. MacAuley
Those High Grey Walls

Those High Grey Walls (1939)

Movie
Tobias Bliss
Coast Guard

Coast Guard (1939)

Movie
Olaf Brand
Good Girls Go to Paris

Good Girls Go to Paris (1939)

Movie
Doctor Grauer
Bridal Suite

Bridal Suite (1939)

Movie
The 'King'
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939)

Movie
Carter Hibbard (archive footage) (uncredited)
Breakdowns of 1938

Breakdowns of 1938 (1938)

Movie
Mr. Brown
The Girl Downstairs

The Girl Downstairs (1938)

Movie
'Gabby' MacArthur
Too Hot to Handle

Too Hot to Handle (1938)

Movie
John P. Dillingwell
Four's a Crowd

Four's a Crowd (1938)

Movie
Sam Lewis
Start Cheering

Start Cheering (1938)

Movie
Dist. Atty. Thomas Mathews
Penitentiary

Penitentiary (1938)

Movie
Carter Hibbard
First Lady

First Lady (1937)

Movie
Oliver Stone
Nothing Sacred

Nothing Sacred (1937)

Movie
Uncle
The Good Earth

The Good Earth (1937)

Movie
Nero Wolfe
The League of Frightened Men

The League of Frightened Men (1937)

Movie
Joe Quinn
Let's Get Married

Let's Get Married (1937)

Movie
Michael Steele
Nancy Steele Is Missing!

Nancy Steele Is Missing! (1937)

Movie
James B. Allenbury
Libeled Lady

Libeled Lady (1936)

Movie
6.33
Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria
The King Steps Out

The King Steps Out (1936)

Movie
Hector Courtney
The Music Goes 'Round

The Music Goes 'Round (1936)

Movie
Humphrey Craig
Soak the Rich

Soak the Rich (1936)

Movie
John Frank Mitchell
White Lies

White Lies (1935)

Movie
Malcolm Bedford
So Red the Rose

So Red the Rose (1935)

Movie
Captain Bill Bourne
One Way Ticket

One Way Ticket (1935)

Movie
Daniel Van Dyke
She Couldn't Take It

She Couldn't Take It (1935)

Movie
Father Brown
Father Brown, Detective

Father Brown, Detective (1934)

Movie
J.L. Higgins
Broadway Bill

Broadway Bill (1934)

Movie
Captain Helquist
The Captain Hates the Sea

The Captain Hates the Sea (1934)

Movie
Judge Daly
Lady by Choice

Lady by Choice (1934)

Movie
Viktor Nilsson
Servants' Entrance

Servants' Entrance (1934)

Movie
John Forrester aka Eric Jann aka Peter Korotoff
Whom the Gods Destroy

Whom the Gods Destroy (1934)

Movie
Oliver Webb
Twentieth Century

Twentieth Century (1934)

Movie
Dr. Walter Selby
Once to Every Woman

Once to Every Woman (1934)

Movie
Hollywood on Parade No. B-1

Hollywood on Parade No. B-1 (1934)

Movie
Alexander Andrews
It Happened One Night

It Happened One Night (1934)

Movie
4.1
Storm
Eight Girls in a Boat

Eight Girls in a Boat (1934)

Movie
Sam Parker
Master of Men

Master of Men (1933)

Movie
John Lawton
East of Fifth Avenue

East of Fifth Avenue (1933)

Movie
Ira
Man's Castle

Man's Castle (1933)

Movie
Count Romero
Lady for a Day

Lady for a Day (1933)

Movie
Major Adair
Paddy the Next Best Thing

Paddy the Next Best Thing (1933)

Movie
Jones
The Bitter Tea of General Yen

The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)

Movie
Bill Holt
No More Orchids

No More Orchids (1932)

Movie
Mossie Ennis
Man Against Woman

Man Against Woman (1932)

Movie
Senator Wylie
Washington Merry-Go-Round

Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932)

Movie

Ratings

Average 5.45
Based on 166 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1932
1934
1936
1934
1975
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Walter ConnollyWalter Connolly

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Male

Birthday
1887-04-08

Deathday
1940-05-28 (53 years old)

Birth Place
Cincinnati, United States of America

Children
Ann Connolly

Citizenships
United States of America


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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    Walter Connolly
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